Parametric Study on the Production of Levulinic by Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Water Hyacinth Leaves
Author : Dela Peña, Ericka Mae
Major Adviser : Gatdula, Kristel M.
Committee Members : Dizon, Lisa Stephanie H.; Sanchez, Denise Ester S.
Year : 2019
Month : June
Type : Thesis
Degree: BS
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Abstract
Water hyacinth has long been present in the rivers and bays of the Philippines and has been a major pollutant of these bodies of water. A proposed solution for the alleviation of the said problem is to use the water hyacinth as a feedstock for the production of levulinic acid, a high value-added product that may be generated via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. Before the levulinic acid was extracted from the water hyacinth, the samples were dried and pretreated with acid in the experiment wherein the following parameters were tested: acid type, acid concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time, and solid loading. The percent yield of levulinic acid was tested by Gas Chromatography. The highest yield of levulinic acid (22.0000 %) was observed when two grams of the sample and 0.5 M phosphoric acid were used, and the reaction was carried out at 175 °C for 60 minutes. On the other hand, the lowest levulinic acid yield (7.3252 %) was observed when five grams of the sample and 1.5 M phosphoric acid were used, and the reaction was carried out at 150 °C and 30 minutes. Two-way ANOVA was used to find the significant parameters. Among the parameters presented, it was found that solid loading and the reaction temperature have significant effects on the levulinic acid yield. As solid loading increases, the yield of levulinic acid decreases. On the other hand, as the reaction temperature increases, the yield of levulinic acid increases as well.
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